Hello,
I am unable to purchase a ticket at the railway station as the ticket machines are card only and the ticket office is permanently closed.
I approached the guard before boarding the train and asked him if I could buy a ticket. He said yes and told me to board.
When he came through the train, he told me that the battery on his machine had died, so I would have to buy one when I changed at the next station.
When I went to buy a ticket, I was confronted by a member of staff who told me that I would have to pay a penalty fare for travelling without a ticket.
I explained how it was not my fault because there were no facilities to buy a ticket at the station and the guard's machine wasn't working, but I was told that it wasn't relevant because it is an offence to travel without a ticket.
They took my details and told me that, if I wanted to continue my journey, I would have to pay a penalty fare on top of a full price ticket for my journey, with no railcards allowed.
I was told that I could appeal against this. Can somebody help?
Am I likely to get my money back?
Will I be able to get the extra money I had to pay for the ticket back as well, or will it just be the penalty fare?